It takes more than one player or coach to form a championship-calibre team.
In the case of the 2010 UNBC Timberwolves men’s basketball team, capturing a National Championship banner that now hangs proudly above the court of the Northern Sports Centre came down to sacrifice and a commitment to excellence.
After falling short on home court at Nationals the year prior, head coach Mike Raimbault took a team full of stars that included Inderbir Gill, Sam Rapheal and Matt Mills and tweaked the mix by adding sharpshooter Jose Araujo, Sebastien-Kevin Louis along with Kevan Madsen.
“I often say our championship year started with us hosting nationals. Being on that stage and having some success knowing we could play with anyone in the country it really drove our path to the championship the following year,” said Raimbault.
The T-Wolves opened the 2009-10 season in Vancouver with a win over the Langara Falcons, but fell the next night with a four-point defeat to their rivals from the Lower Mainland.
However, the loss proved to be one of very few bumps in the road for a UNBC squad that went 17-1 during the regular season.
“We were ranked nationally and I think it maybe led to a sense of accomplishment without having really done anything and I think we used that as a driving force and even through the streak of wins our focus was really getting better each and every day to be the best we could possibly be in hopes of getting back on the national stage,” said Raimbault.
With expectations sky-high, practices were often more intense than the games – that internal standard making it near-impossible for opposing teams to put them in an awkward spot.
“From top to bottom, every single guy on that team was able to step into any situation he was put in and I feel like that player was going to be successful. Our depth was a huge attribute for us playing full-court defence for large stretches of time and put teams outside of their comfort zone.”
“A lot of times games would open up for us as we got into our bench a little bit and that really did come back to what we were doing in practice every day and there really was a collective spirit in terms of getting better every day,” added Raimbault.
At any level, home-court advantage is key in the game of basketball and this was especially true for UNBC who rode the momentum of their raucous crowds at the Northern Sport Centre.
The Timberwolves didn’t lose a game on home court, keeping a stranglehold on the number one ranking in Canada.
UNBC secured a bye through to the semifinal of the BC Colleges Athletics Association playoffs, where they dispatched Capilano University 79-69, sending them to the Provincial title game.
In the championship, the T-Wolves made short work of the Vancouver Island University Mariners 84-65, booking a ticket to the CCAA National Championship tournament for the second consecutive season.
The T-Wolves also dominated the awards, with Gill winning BCCAA Player of the Year.
From there, UNBC headed to Calgary looking to atone for some unfinished business.
Right out of the gate, the Timberwolves were pushed to the brink falling behind 20 points to the Fanshawe College Falcons at one point.
“That was definitely a turning point for us. It wasn’t the first time we had been in that position, we were in that position earlier in the provincial championship game as well and I think more than anything we had a great belief in our ability to come back. We were without a doubt on the ropes of being beat that game and I think the fact the group was able to stick together shows a lot of the character of some of those guys.”
“Nobody panicked, nobody stepped outside of themselves to try and do too much, everyone just stuck together and played the way we wanted to play,” said Raimbault.
Undeterred, the T-Wolves rebounded and snatched the victory with a 76-71 triumph.
UNBC faced off against Mount Saint Vincent University Mystics in the semifinals, but eased past the Atlantic representatives, 80-58.
The crowning moment came against the host SAIT Trojans, where the Timberwolves proved far superior earning a 96-63 victory.
“It was a collective effort of a large group of people from the coaching staff, players, the administration and everyone else who all bought in to do their part to be successful and we had a lot of people on that team who had to play a lesser role a lot of nights to support the success of the team,” Raimbault mentioned.
“One thing that stands out to me is how comfortable we were in the moment from the year before and that experience was invaluable for us and we had confidence in one another and I think there was a definite belief we were going to get it done. Looking back, I don’t think there is anyone who didn’t have a great performance on the biggest stage.”
This put the icing on the cake of a 22-1 season, outsourcing their opponents by 423 points during the regular season and playoffs combined.
And for the all highlights mentioned above, it’s only fitting this legendary group gets to walk in together and claim their spot along the Timberwolves Wall of Honour.
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